Expand Your Practice with Group Therapy

By: Meagan Chevalier, LMFT

As therapists, we’re constantly growing—both personally and professionally. We pursue
trainings, explore new research, and adapt to the ever-changing needs of our clients. But some of
the most transformative growth that happens for our clients doesn’t come from a new technique
we’ve learned or a special therapy model, it might not even come from us at all—it comes from
our clients ability to integrate their experience of change into their everyday lives and
relationships. One of the most powerful ways to help our clients do this is group therapy.

If you’ve been exploring how to expand your practice in a new direction or increase your case
load you’re not alone. More and more clinicians are craving ways to engage in community-based
healing as well as sustainable ways to make therapy more accessible and impactful, all while
making sure their practice continues to thrive. Group therapy offers all of this—and more.

Why Groups Matter

Humans aren’t meant to heal in isolation. In fact, many of the wounds we work with—relational
trauma, shame, disconnection—are best healed in relationship. Group therapy creates a space
where clients not only receive support but learn to offer it, witnessing one another’s growth,
struggles, and breakthroughs.

Whether you’re running psychoeducational groups, process-oriented circles, or creative therapy
groups, you’re inviting clients into a shared experience that fosters belonging, insight, and
accountability.

What Makes Group Work So Powerful?

1. Shared Experience: There’s something especially healing about hearing “me too.” Groups offer a place where clients realize they’re not alone, that their struggles aren’t shameful, but deeply human.

2. Relational Practice in Real Time: Group therapy gives clients a safe space to explore boundaries, communication, and emotional expression with others. This experiential aspect helps move insights from the intellectual into the embodied. This is helpful even when it’s hard. One of the best things group therapy offers is an avenue for clients to practice the skills they’ve learned elsewhere in real time with others.

3. Accessibility & Reach: Groups make therapy more affordable and available, allowing you to serve more clients while managing your time and energy more effectively.

Starting a Therapy Group: Where to Begin

You don’t need to be a seasoned facilitator to start offering groups. You just need a clear
intention, a thoughtful structure, and the willingness to show up with presence and curiosity.
Start by asking yourself:

• What themes do I feel most passionate about?
• What needs am I seeing in my clients or community?
• What kinds of groups would have made a difference for me earlier in life?

Groups can center around:

• Grief and loss
• Trauma recovery
• Mindfulness
• Emotion regulation
• Identity exploration
• Social skill building
• Creative expression and self-compassion

Facing the Fear of Group Work

Many clinicians worry they’re not “ready” to run a group. That’s normal. Holding space for
multiple people can feel overwhelming at first—but it also offers unmatched opportunities for
growth, for both you and your clients.

Group work challenges us to:

• Stay present with complexity
• Trust the process, even when it’s messy
• Let go of over-functioning and allow peer support to emerge (and when it does, it’s magic!)

Group Work Can Revitalize Your Practice

Running therapy groups is more than a service—it’s a shift in how you show up as a clinician.
It’s about trusting that healing doesn’t always have to happen one-on-one, and that peer
connection itself is a powerful intervention. Whether you’re offering your first support group or refining a long-running series, group therapy can reinvigorate your work, expand your reach, and deepen your clinical wisdom. Here are some reflection questions to help you start brainstorming:

• What kinds of conversations light me up in session?
• What group topics would energize me to facilitate?
• What populations or themes do I feel uniquely equipped to support?
• What might be possible—for my clients and myself—if I leaned into group work?

If you’re curious to learn more about group therapy you can join us for our upcoming training:

Group Therapy: Creation and Considerations in Clinical Practice
July 25 at 10am EST (live webinar and on demand recording available)

Includes:
-4 NBCC CEs
-A downloadable workbook
-An online learners community
-Follow-up support from the trainers

Register Here